To search for specific text on this page, just press 'CTRL +
F' & then enter your search term.

UNKNOWN SCHENCK WORK No.
12

It is always a pleasure when a site visitor,
quite out of the blue, provides
an image of an 'Albert Schenck' work which is new to the webmaster. That said, there are
probably hundreds of such works that have not yet come to his attention.

Anyway, Susan D. of California was in touch with the webmaster
& has kindly provided the following images & data re a 'Schenck' painting
that has been in her family's care for nearly 80 years.

Susan has provided me with images of her artwork. What I show
is not the full artwork, rather the most interesting major or centre portion of it. Is it
not most beautiful?

The visible dimensions of the complete work as framed
are about 23 x 35 inches, Susan advises. And the complete
work (a little appears to be under the frame), just a bit bigger than that.

While I do not show you here the signature, it is most certainly signed by Albert Schenck. Date
& title? Both
unknown.

I was struck by two details in the work - the dramatic ram at left who stares you so boldly in the face
& the shepherd at right.

A shepherd?
I must conclude that it is
not a shepherd, but rather a shepherdess - if you agree. A composite image that next follows shows in detail both those areas of the work.

Now the webmaster had commented to Susan about the shepherd being,
in fact, a shepherdess. She had advised that while now living in California, she was previously from Ohio. Anyway, she wrote back
about the comment & has kindly permitted the inclusion here of her words on
the subject.

As a little Ohio girl, I sat and looked at the shepherd(ess) in awe and wonder,
and thought of the cold the flock were experiencing (Ohio knows cold winters, of
course) and the expression of the animal caretaker. As a young adult, I often
thought of that painting when I experienced turmoil of varied types, creating
a simile and creating a parallel that I too could find my way through the
storm and assist others in anguish. Today I am a drug and alcohol counselor,
soon to retire. I
often think about the effect of art on our subconscious motives.

When my mother died, generations of lovely mahogany furniture,
silver, crystal, textile, china, toys, dolls, and other paintings were sold
cheaply and quickly given to antique collectors in the area, so my father could
move with me to California without any material burden. The only article that I
insisted on bringing was the painting (we were offered $700 for it by a dealer,
but I could not bear to part with it because of my long-standing affection for it.)

Your remarks about the gender of the herder are interesting. As a girl, although
I'd never considered a female in this role, I did somehow identify with the
character. I think that I had stereotyped all herders as
herds-men. As I review it now, however, feminine compassion
fits the role and the countenance she wears. A few years ago, an older woman
raised in Greece came to our home in Ohio, as we were selling it. She pointed at the
painting, grinned widely, and said, "Oh, I used to do that!" (sheep
herding).

Thank you, Susan!

UNKNOWN SCHENCK WORK No.
13

The next work also was provided to the webmaster by a kind site
visitor - by Christian C. of France. Christian indicates that the work is 50 x 35 cm in size
& has been in his family for
a very long time - for more than
80 years. Signed lower right as you can see. Christian, we thank you so much!

The central area of the work. With the birds. It would seem that
not every site visitor likes the birds - crows or ravens I presume they are - and scavengers, of course. The webmaster, however, does
like to see them
again.

More when I get more! Maybe YOU could provide new data or could provide a clue as to where new data
about the above work (or indeed any other Schenck work) might be found.
I would truly welcome your input.